


A Different Tragedy

by Mycattiggytrotter



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternative Universe - Bruce’s parents live, Autism, Autistic Tim Drake, Bruce Wayne is Brucie Wayne, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Confusion, Damian Wayne Acts Like a Kid, Damian Wayne is Robin, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, Homelessness, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Jason Todd is Red Hood, Orphans, Protective Siblings, Tim Drake is Red Robin, alternative universe, mistaken for a clone, no beta we die like robins, this changes all of the Batclans lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 21:01:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29213829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mycattiggytrotter/pseuds/Mycattiggytrotter
Summary: What would happen to the boys if Bruce’s parents had lived? What happens when these boys meet the vigilantes from the batman universe? Will there ever be a happy ending?
Comments: 2
Kudos: 77





	A Different Tragedy

You would think with everything their family had been through at this point, Damian would be a little more prepared to see a clone of himself appear on the rooftop. It wasn’t exactly the clone that had shocked him, it didn’t seem completely unlikely that mother had sent another to Gotham. It was more the way this clone stumbled and fell ungracefully to his knees on the rooftop with a small moan of pain. Not very well trained. Mother was clearly slipping. 

Another presence hit the roof behind him but this one far less concerning. Batman stepped closer in a protective manner, glaring the infamous bat glare down at the cowering figure. What a disgrace this clone was. 

“I will take care of this failure” Damian stepped around his father, reaching for his sword. 

The clone quickly backed up on hands and knees at the sound of the weapon being drawn. Damian raised an eyebrow as the boy backed himself over the edge of the roof and yelped as he fell. Easy kill. 

Batman moved quickly, following the clones descent. It cried out when grabbed, clinging to batman as he grappled back up to the rooftop. 

“Dick! Dick!” The yells startled both Damian and Batman. What in the world was this faker doing yelling for his brother? What kind of trick was going on? 

Suddenly the comms burst into life, everyone speaking over one another. Idiots. 

“B there’s...”

“...just appeared across from me...”

“...took off running...”

“...having some sort of attack” 

Just before Batman could bark some sort of order into them, feet could be heard running up the fire escape. 

Fatherly instinct took hold and Batman pulled the crying child that looked so much like his son, closer and to one side to free up one arm. Damian moved before him to protect his misguided father from getting himself killed over some spare clone. 

First a bigger scarred man reached the rooftop and after a scan of the figures made a lunge for Damian. 

“Where did you get a sword? Put that down!” The figures voice caused the crying to quieten and the clones head rose from where he had hidden it in Batman’s shoulder. “Richard! Richard he has a sword! I fell! What’s happening? How did we get on a roof?” 

Instantly the new figure stopped his advance to look between Damian and the clone in confusion. Given that one child was holding a sword threateningly at him and the other was actively reaching out to him, the figure made his decision. 

“Give me back my brother you freaks!” 

“Now that’s not very nice” Dick landed on the roof and made to assess the situation. “B-man, this guy just appeared by me. Real back-to-the-future-but-without-the-car style. Started growling all this stuff, asking what I had done with his brothers and... well I’m not really sure if I’m loosing it but doesn’t he have some... similarities?”

The figure stood glaring, clearly trying to figure out how to get passed the sword welding child to reach his crying brother. Looking passed the expression, Batman could see eyes he could never mistake. This was Richard. Or at least a clone of his son. Except unlike this other clone of Damian, there were less of the physical similarities. This Dick was shorter, clearly underfed by the look of the bones in his face and a lot more outwardly angry. 

As the staring continued clone Dick lost his patience and made a run for Batman. Damian quickly swung his katana at the clones legs in an attempt to take him down. As soon as clone Dick hit the roof he swung a punch at Damian but Damian didn’t waste the effort it would take to worry. His brother, the superior Dick, caught and blocked it from catching his baby brother. 

“None of that please.” Dick chirped cheerfully enough considering the situation. “Why don’t we all calm down and find out what’s-“

“Dami!?” A second and third set of running steps made it up the fire escape onto the rooftop. Batman felt the flare of pain that often came from looking at pictures of Jason’s younger self. “Stop fucking following me you creep. I don’t want what ya selling, I won’t sell what ya want’in!” The Jason clone growled whirling to face Red Hood as he followed up the stairs. 

The big silent form of red hood clearly had this Jason clone on high alert, skittishly backing off and glancing around the rooftop. “Dick what the hell is going on? Who’s that costumed mess with Dami?” 

Glad to put distance between himself and Red hood, clone Jason moved to help clone Richard to his feet. “Look dude, whatever you guys want you can take it from us. Leave the kid alone” Clone Jason was looking about far calmer than the angry Richard clone now pacing behind him. 

Finally Batman spoke up, shooting a glare at his kids to let him handle this. “We want to figure out who you are and why you’re here” 

“Just give me Damian or I’ll tear you a new one!” Clone Dick roared making another attempt at running Batman. 

Before any of them could move to stop it, Clone Jason grabbed clone Dicks arm and pulled him to a stop. “Take a breath big bird. Getting angry won’t get Dami back this time. Let’s just have a little talk and head our separate ways” 

Clone Dick growled his irritation at clone Jason but he did back off, standing protectively behind Jason with eyes glued on the child in Batman’s arms. “Damian I’m right here. Don’t cry. We won’t let anything happen to you” he called in a far calmer voice than the angry expression portrayed. 

The clone Damian in Batman’s arms gave a small sad whine but nodded. He shifted his arms to tightly hug himself “please... I just want to go home” he murmured before going silent and still against batman. 

“Wonda’ful” clone Jason clapped his hands and looked around everyone nervously before holding a hand out. “So I’m Jason. I can’t say it’s nice to meet ya givin the circumstances” he gave an awkward chuckle and brought his hand awkwardly down to his side when no one shook it. 

“Okay... so we basically just want our brother back and to leave you to whatever costume party ya’ll are planning.” He tried again. 

“Father there has to be some form of nefarious plot afoot” Damian muttered eyeing all the clones on the rooftop with contempt. 

“Someone’s swallowed a thesaurus” Clone Jason muttered making Dick laugh in surprise. “Okay baby bird, calm down. These guys look like us all not just you. Unlikely to be your mother or grandfather-“ 

The clone in Batman’s arms gave a whimper and tightened his hold on himself at Dicks words causing Clone Dick to step forward again. “Look just let me have him. You’re scaring him!” 

It wasn’t pain that made Batman drop the boy, but surprise. The clone Damian had made a kick for his groin. A move very unlike his son, not even that hard of a kick at all. It probably hurt the boys foot more than anything given the Batman armour. 

As soon as clone Damian hit the floor, he rolled up awkwardly and scrambled across to clone Dicks waiting arms. 

Dick put a hand on Damians shoulders to prevent him trying to stop the escape. Something was clearly going on but it didn’t seem dangerous. Not by the way his clone self scooped clone Damian into his arms in a big hug and began whispering softly to calm him. It was actually very sweet. He would have cooed if Damian hadn’t had such a murderous expression at the sight. 

“Okay perfect. We got our brother and can all go our separate ways. We didn’t see anything ya didn’t want us to. In fact we didn’t even see you. We had a nice stroll in the park” Clone Jason send the group of non-clones and tight smile hoping despite his best knowledge and worldly experience that they would just get to go away now. 

“You're not going anywhere. We need to figure out where you’re from as it’s clearly not here.” Batman replied causing the clones smile to drop. “Look dude, I have work soon and I’m pretty sure Dickie was at work before we got here so we really have to get home. Unless ya want us getting fired?” Clone Jason shot a nervous glare at them all, lingering on Red Hoods helmet for longer than the others. 

Dick spoke up then, stepping forward with a placating smile “well why don’t you tell me where you work and we can help figure out how to get you there? After all you just appeared here as well right? Just like your big bro Dick here!” 

Clone Dick narrowed his eyes untrustingly, one hand in clone Damians hair to keep him close. “We’re fine by ourselves” he grunted. 

“Won’t your dad be getting worried?” 

That got a surprised laugh and a snort from clone Jason and Dick. “What dad? Jason’s? If he came near us again I’d tear him apart. We look after ourself and we’re just fine that way” 

Dicks eyes grew wide in a sad sort of way and he glanced between the clones and Batman. “But... don’t you have maybe a... adoptive-“ 

“Nightwing!” Batman snapped. This was getting far too close to real personal information for his liking. They needed to get off the streets with these clones sooner rather than later. 

“Grow up. This is Gotham not some fairytale. Dicks been on the streets since they kicked him out of juvie at 16. I look after myself and we look after Timmy and Dami just fine. Anyone tryin’ ta pick people off the streets... well it sure ain’t for adoption” Clone Jason rolled his eyes at them before they widened in panic. 

“Timmy! If we all fell onto rooftops weirdly then where’s Tim? Dick, he was with Dami! But if Damians here then where the fuck is Tim?” Clone Jason turned his back on the vigilantes, more important issues to deal with right then. He gently rubbed Damians back until the boy came out of hiding in Dicks chest to look at him. 

“Dami do you know what happened at all? We won’t get mad” Clone Jason soothed. “We just need to find Timmy yeah? You know what he’s like for wondering about and getting lost” 

Clone Damian glanced nervously at the group of hero’s behind his brother before focusing in on the concern in Jason’s eyes. “Timmy was just playing with his wires. He was upset and humming and I didn’t want him to be sad so I started drawing on him the way he likes” He took a breath before continuing and wiped away tears “He had new wires and stuff. I tried to ask him where he got them but he got upset and threw them.” 

Clone Damian sniffled and Dick almost cooed at the adorable sight. He moved to wrap his arm around his youngest brothers shoulders only to get shoved off with a growl. 

“When it hit the wall there was a big flash and then I fell on the roof here. Timmy wasn’t with me any more” Clone Damian finished his story before burrowing into dicks warmth once more to hide. “I’m sorry! I should have calmed him down better” 

“Hush it’s not your fault” Both older clones looked at each other worriedly before glancing at the costumed hero’s. “Look we have to find our brother. He’s not so great when by himself” Clone Jason told them, trying to press as much urgency into his voice as possible. 

“Well it seems that Dick landed with me and Damian landed near my baby bird so it probably suggests that your Tim is with our Red Robin” Dick reasoned calmly, not at all worried. Tim would be fine looking after himself and was probably on his way here. “We can just call him”


End file.
